Was Superman's arch nemesis Lex Luthor based on Aleister Crowley? Can Captain Marvel be linked to the Sun gods on antiquity? In Our Gods Wear Spandex, Christopher Knowles answers these questions and brings to light many other intriguing links between superheroes and the enchanted world of estoerica. Occult students and comic-book fans alike will discover countless fascinating connections, from little known facts such as that DC Comics editor Julius Schwartz started his career as H.P. Lovecraft's agent, to the tantalizingly extensive influence of Madame Blavatsky's Theosophy on the birth of comics, to the mystic roots of Superman. The book also traces the rise of the comic superheroes and how they relate to several cultural trends in the late 19th century, specifically the occult explosion in Western Europe and America. Knowles reveals the four basic superhero archetypes--the Messiah, the Golem, the Amazon, and the Brotherhood--and shows how the occult Bohemian underground of the early 20th century provided the inspiration for the modern comic book hero. With the popularity of occult comics writers like Invisibles creator Grant Morrison and V for Vendetta creator Alan Moore, the vast ComiCon audience is poised for someone to seriously introduce them to the esoteric mysteries. Chris Knowles is doing just that in this epic book. Chapters include Ancient of Days, Ascended Masters, God and Gangsters, Mad Scientists and Modern Sorcerers, and many more. From the ghettos of Prague to the halls of Valhalla to the Fortress of Solitude and the aisles of BEA and ComiCon, this is the first book to show the inextricable link between superheroes and the enchanted world of esoterica. * Chris Knowles is associate editor and columnist for the five-time Eisner Award-winning Comic Book Artist magazine, as well as a pop culture writer for UK magazine Classic Rock. * Knowles worked with Robert Smigel on The X Presidents graphic novel, based on the popular Saturday Night Live cartoon, and has created designs and artwork for many of the world's top superheroes and fantasy characters. * Features the art of Joe Linsner, creator of the legendary Dawn series, and more recently a collaborator with comics maestro Stan Lee.

Committee Serial No. 89-5. Considers H.R. 806 and H.R. 5160 to amend the Textile Fiber Products Identification Act to permit the listing on labels of certain fibers such as spandex that constitute less than five percent of a textile product.

Taking a critical look at the gender presentation of DC and Marvel superheroes like Superman, Captain America, Batwoman, Luke Cage, and Storm, Hot Pants and Spandex Suits is a thought-provoking consideration of what superhero comics teach us about identity, embodiment, and sexuality.

Grieving his husband’s untimely death, Alec Archer doesn’t feel up to donning the Whirlwind’s skintight turquoise costume to defend Centerport against yet another supervillain. But the evil genius who calls himself the Zookeeper doesn’t care about Alec’s feelings. The Zookeeper has chosen Centerport as the perfect place to demonstrate his latest creation—a genetic process that converts harmless house pets into lethal bioweapons. Whether he’s battling giant spiders, rescuing the city from a vicious army of mutated puppies and kittens, saving a child from an angry Grizzly bear, or simply babysitting a pair of awkward newbie superheroes who are more trouble than they’re worth, Alec dutifully does his best, even though his heart isn’t in it. Unfortunately, the Whirlwind’s unique biology proves irresistible to the Zookeeper. Captured, and horribly tortured to unlock the secrets of his superhuman genetics, Alec’s despair and grief threaten to overcome him, and the outcome of the Whirlwind’s final battle with the Zookeeper is far from certain.

Sexy bike racer Jacob Hunter is turning heads on the international cycling circuit . . . in more ways then one. Rumor has it the handsome daredevil owes his success to more than just muscle and willpower. Allegations of drug use have followed Jacob back to his home state of Colorado, where the stakes are higher than ever as he gears up for the biggest race of his career. Jacob knows he needs to stay focused on his training, but some hometown secrets are impossible to outpace, no matter how fast you go. When redheaded reporter Ariel Hays arrives on the scene to profile Jacob, he tries to keep the curvaceous beauty at arm’s length. For a man with something to hide, a reporter is the last person to be trusted. But Ariel is ready to do anything to get her story . . . and Jacob finds he can’t resist getting personal. The heat between them could melt the snow off the Rockies, but both Ariel and Jacob realize they’re making an avalanche that threatens everything in its path. Because Ariel also has a secret. And it’s hard to keep secrets when passion leaves you totally exposed. . . . Sensuality Level: Sensual

The superheroes from DC and Marvel comics are some of the most iconic characters in popular culture today. But how do these figures idealize certain gender roles, body types, sexualities, and racial identities at the expense of others? Hot Pants and Spandex Suits offers a far-reaching look at how masculinity and femininity have been represented in American superhero comics, from the Golden and Silver Ages to the Modern Age. Scholar Esther De Dauw contrasts the bulletproof and musclebound phallic bodies of classic male heroes like Superman, Captain America, and Iron Man with the figures of female counterparts like Wonder Woman and Supergirl, who are drawn as superhumanly flexible and plastic. It also examines the genre’s ambivalent treatment of LGBTQ representation, from the presentation of gay male heroes Wiccan and Hulkling as a model minority couple to the troubling association of Batwoman’s lesbianism with monstrosity. Finally, it explores the intersection between gender and race through case studies of heroes like Luke Cage, Storm, and Ms. Marvel. Hot Pants and Spandex Suits is a fascinating and thought-provoking consideration of what superhero comics teach us about identity, embodiment, and sexuality.

Experience the thrilling journey of a wrestling superstar in this no-holds-barred memoir from the first undisputed WWE heavyweight champion. Chris Jericho is the first undisputed Heavyweight Champion of the WWE and WCW, and has been called one of the fifty greatest wrestlers of all time. Now retired, he is writing his memoir, telling the story of his journey from wrestling school in Canada to his time in leagues in Mexico and Japan to his big break in the WCW. He'll dish the dirt on how he worked his way through the ranks alongside major wrestling stars like Chris Benoit and Lance Storm to become a major superstar.

Handbook of Polyurethanes serves as the first source of information of useful polymers. This new book thoroughly covers the entire spectrum of polyurethanes - from current technology to buyer's information. Discussions include: block and heteroblock systems rubber plasticity structure-property relations microphase separation catalysis of isocyanate reactions synthesis of polyurethanes for thermoplastics, thermosets, and curable compositions by either heat or U.V. energy biomedical applications of urethane elastomers castables, sealants, and caulking compounds flexible and semi-flexible foams health and safety This handbook compiles data from many sources, exhaustively illustrating the complex principles involved in polyurethane chemistry and technology. Handbook of Polyurethanes represents invaluable information for corporations, universities, or independent inventors.